Tension flared in Nabarangpur district after the family of a youth found dead inside Dabugaon police station alleged that police murdered him.
The deceased, identified as Purna Kalar of Anchala village under Medana panchayat, had been arrested for allegedly abducting and assaulting a minor girl.
His family and villagers staged a protest outside the police station, blocking the Umerkote–Nabarangpur road. They claimed police beat Kalar to death and later framed it as suicide. Protesters demanded justice and refused to leave until authorities returned the body in the same condition as when he was taken into custody.
Police said Kalar hanged himself inside the station toilet using a bedsheet tied to the ventilation frame. He was scheduled to be produced in court on Wednesday. The family rejected the suicide claim and accused police of secretly moving the body for a post-mortem without informing them.
Senior officers from Nabarangpur and Papadahandi rushed to the spot to control the situation. The administration deployed two platoons of police and additional officers around Dabugaon station to prevent escalation.
Officials confirmed that the body was sent for autopsy at Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital. Authorities plan to hand over the body to the family after examination. Law and order remain tense in the area as villagers prepare for the funeral.
